The past and future of the biological resources of the Caspian and the Aral Seas

Transcription

1 13th International Conference on Salt Lake Research Ulan-Ude August 21, 2017, 14:50 Regular Session INLAND LAKES IN A CHANGING WORLD: ANTHROPOGENIC AND CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON SALINITY, ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLING Chairs: Erik Jeppesen, Naser Agh The past and future of the biological resources of the Caspian and the Aral Seas N.V. Aladin 1, T. Chida 2, Yu.S. Chuikov 3, Z.K. Ermakhanov 4, Y. Kawabata 5, J. Kubota 6, P. Micklin 7, I.S. Plotnikov 1, A.O. Smurov 1, V.F. Zaitzev 8 1 Zoological Institute RAS, St.-Petersburg, Russia; 2 Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, Nagoya, Japan; 3 Astrakhan State University, Astrakhan, Russia; 4 Aral Branch of Kazakh Research Institute of Fishery, Aralsk, Kazakhstan; 5 Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Koganei, Tokyo, Japan; 6 Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan; 7 Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA; 8 Astrakhan State Technical University, Astrakhan, Russia

2 Caspian Sea is the world s largest lake (area of the world s largest lakes is shown in brackets in km 2 ; area of the Aral Sea is given for 1960) 2. Lake Superior, Canada/USA (82 900) 6. Lake Michigan, USA (58 020) 5. Lake Huron, Canada 15. Ladoga Lake, Russia (59 580) (18 300) 14. Lake Ontario Canada/USA (19 400) 11. Lake Erie, Canada/USA (25 680) 3. Lake Victoria, Africa (68 800) 7. Lake Tanganyika, Africa (32 900) 4. The Aral Sea, Uzbekistan/Kazkhstan (65 500) 13. Lake Malawi, Africa (22 490) 1. The Caspian Sea ( ) 10. Great Slave Lake, Canada (28 570) 12. Lake Winnipeg, Canada (24 890) 8. Great Bear Lake, Canada (31 330) km 9. Lake Baikal, Russia (31 500)

3 Main parameters of the Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea Max. length 1204 km Max. width 566 km Mean width 204 km Volume km 3 Max. depth 1025 m Mean depth 184 m Area km 2 The Northern Caspian Sea Volume 0.94% Area 27.73% Max. depth 10 m Mean depth 6.2 m The Middle Caspian Sea Volume 35.39% Area 36.63% Max. depth 770 m Mean depth m The Southern Caspian Sea Volume 63.67% Area 35.64% Max. depth 1025 m Mean depth 325 m

4 Turkmenistan Vo Russia Makhachkala lga Izberbash Derbent Azerbaijan Astara Iran Peshnye Islands Nothern Caspian Iskusstvennyi Island Tiuleniy Island Kulaly Island 5i 5h Kura Middle Caspian 5g 5a Sumgait Baku 5f 1a Ural Fort Shevchenko Svinoi Island Kara Bogaz Gol Ogerchinskiy Island Kazakhstan 5b Bekdash Zhiloy Island Kosa Ada Kara Bogaz Gol Bay Southern Caspian 4b 5e 2 1b 5c Kuuli-Mayak Krasnovodsk Gasan-Kuli 3b 3a 5d 4a Caspian Sea zones (by Aladin, Plotnikov, 2000) 1. Middle (1a) and Southern (1b) Caspian Seas = the Caspian Sea proper. 2. Northern Caspian (2) a giant shallow bay, estuary of 4 rivers: Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak. 3. Hyperhaline bays on the Eastern coast: Kara-Bogaz Gol (3a), Mertvy Kultuk (3b). 4. Low saline bay and lagoon on the Southern coast: Gorgan Bay (4a), Anzaly Lagoon (4b). 5. Low saline estuaries and deltas of Caspian Sea rivers: Volga (5a), Ural (5b), Emba (5c) (not inflowing now), Atrek (5d), Sefidrud (5e), Kura (5f), Samur (5g), Sulak (5h), Terek (5i).

5 Catchment area of the Caspian Sea. Dark-green area is below the present Ocean level.

6 Number of species in the Caspian Sea Derzhavin (1951) & Zenkevich (1963) Chesunov (1978) Kasymov (1987) Dumont (1998) Aladin et al. (2001) 476 ~ 550 ~ 950 ~ 1800 > 2000

7 Caspian Sea endemic animals

8 Mnemiopsis leidyi The native habitat of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is in temperate to subtropical estuaries along the Atlantic coast of North and South America, where it is found in an extremely wide range of environmental conditions. Winter low and summer high temperatures of 2ºC and 32ºC, respectively, and salinities of < 2 to 39 g/l.

9 Mnemiopsis spreading over Caspian Sea

10 Dynamics of sturgeon catches (1) and salmons (2) in the Caspian Sea, thousands of tons thous. t thous. t Years

11 1.At the end of XX century about 25% of Caspian seal population died out due to various diseases. 2. Very warm winter of 2000 and lack of solid ice in the Northern Caspian Sea created big problems for seal reproduction. 3. Some scientist believed that it was walrus in the Caspian Sea, but in Medieval time hunters totally exterminated this giant aquatic mammal

12 Artemia and its cysts

13 Floating cysts of Artemia

14 Studying and testing Artemia cysts in laboratory (Akatau, Kazakhstan)

15 On the demonstrated photo president of Kazakhstan participated in the opening ceremony for Mangistau Bioresource

16 Famous Caspian Sea monster In order to have successful navigation in the shallowing Caspian Sea special military boats were built

17 Main threats to the Caspian Sea biological resources 1. Pollution due to: oil and gas excavation and transportation, agricultural activities, industrial activities, military activities 2. Exotic species introduction 3. Overfishing and pouching 4. Rivers regulation 5. Sea level fluctuation 6. Climate change

18 Catchment area of the Aral Sea is about 1.8 million km 2 ARAL SEA BASIN

19 Parameters of the Aral Sea in the beginning Area km 2 Large Aral km 2 Small Aral 6118 km 2 Volume 1089 km 3 Large Aral 1007 km 3 Small Aral 82 km 3 Level m of 20 th century Maximal depth 69 m Salinity about 10 g/l The Aral Sea was inhabited by about 20 species of fishes and about 200 species of free-living invertebrates

20 Since 1960 the Aral Sea has steadily shrunk and shallowed owing overwhelmingly to irrigation withdrawals from its influent rivers (Amu Dar ya and Syr Dar ya) August, 2015: Aral area 8031 km 2 (12%), volume 48 km 3 (4.5%); the Large Aral 3900 km 2 (6%), 58 km 3 (5.5%), salinity >100 g/l; the Small Aral 3300 km 2 (57%), 27 km 3 (33%), salinity 6-7 g/l.

21 IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT IN ARAL SEA BASIN Kazakhstan L. Balkhash Caspian Sea L. Sarykamysh Turkmenbashi Ashgabat Aral Sea 2 Urgench Nukus Turkmenistan Amu Dar'ya R Uzbekistan L. Arnasay Tashkent Iran km Afghanistan 3 Syr Dar'ya R Almaty Kyrgyzstan 9 China Tajikistan Pakistan N P. Micklin 2000 main irrigation zones in the Aral Sea Basin proposed Siberia- Aral Sea Canal MAJOR IRRIGATION COMPLEXES IN THE ARAL SEA BASIN 1. Kara-Kum Canal 2. Amu Dar'ya Delta 3. Amu-Bukhara Canal 4. Zeravshan Valley 5. Karshi Steppe 6. Middle Amu Dar'ya 7. Surkhandar'ya Valley 8. Golodnaya Steppe 9. Fergana Valley 10. Middle Syr Dar'ya 11. Kzyl-Orda Canal 12. Syr Dar'ya Delta

22 At the end of 1980 s, when the level dropped by about 13 m and reached about +40 m, the Aral Sea divided into the Large and Small Aral the Small Aral Area km 2 (60% from 1960) Volume 333 km 3 (33% from 1960) Salinity 30 g/l (10 g/l in 1960) the Large Aral Between autumn 1987 spring 1989 Aral Sea divided into 2 lakes: Small (Northern) Aral and Large (Southern) Aral. In both lakes salinity increased and in each lake practically the same number of free-living animals were able to survive.

23 Aral Sea level and salinity Level, m a.s.l Salinity in the Large Aral continues to go up while in the Small Aral it has begun to go down after the Aral Sea division Salinity, g/l Aral Sea level Small Aral level Large Aral level Aral Sea salinity SmallAral salinity Large Aral salinity W. Large Aral salinity E. Large Aral salinity Year

24 The resulting rapid increase in salinity has caused a dramatic decrease in the lake biodiversity and biological resources and loss of a once thriving fishery. Only a small part of the indigenous biota has survived.

25 Dynamics of fish catches in the North and South Aral Sea Catches, tons Small (Northern) Aral Large (Southern) Aral Year

26 Dike in Berg strait is preserving Small (Northern) Aral and rehabilitating its biodiversity.

27 Small Aral Sea Syrdar ya Dike in Berg strait is preserving Small (Northern) Aral and rehabilitating its biodiversity. Large Aral Sea Source: Aladin N.V., Plotnikov I.S., Potts W.T.W., The Aral Sea desiccation and possible ways of rehabilitation and conservation of its North part // Int. J. Environmetrics. Vol. 6:

28 New Kok-Aral dike built by Russian company ZARUBEZHVODSTROY

29 The water level in the Small Aral has increased several meters and its salinity has returned to levels that can sustain the pre-1960 ecosystem. The biodiversity and biological resources also has been somewhat rehabilitated, and the commercial fisheries have revived.

30 Second dike to be built in the nearest future Level m a.s.l. Canal to Aralsk ( 10 km) Canal from Tuschibas Lake to Sarycheganak Bay ( 50 km)

31 MODIS C A B 1. Small Aral: level ~42 m, area 3300 km 2, salinity 6-7 g/l 2. Western Basin of Large Aral: level ~25 m, area 3120 km 2, salinity >150 g/l 3. Tsche-Bas Bay: level ~28 m, area 385 km 2, salinity 85 g/l 5 4. Central Aral: level m, area 405 km 2, salinity variable 2 5. Eastern Basin of Large Aral: level m, area 974 km 2, salinity >150 g/l? TOTAL ARAL AREA = 8031 km 2 A Kokaral dam (Central dam) B Proposed Northern dam C Proposed Southern dam

32 Discharge of Syrdarya water to the Eastern Large Aral Proposed Southern dam

33 The remnants of the hyperhaline Southern (Large) Aral continue their retreat and salinization. The Large Aral contains no fish species, and almost all the invertebrate species have been lost. The only biological resource here in hyperhaline environment is brine shrimp (Artemia), and its eggs are harvested now.

34 Concept to Partially Preserve Small and Large Aral Seas (Lvovich and Tsigelnaya, updated and modified by P. Micklin) Small Aral Sea: Level 48 m ASL, area 4830 km 2, vol km 3, river inflow 5.0 km 3, outflow toward L. Aral 1.0 km 3, salinity 6.0 g/l. Large Aral Sea Western Sea: level 33 m ASL, area 6200 km 2, vol. 85 km 3, river inflow 6.4 km 3, net groundwater inflow 2.0 km 3, outflow to E. Aral 3.6 km 3, salinity drops to 42 g/l by 2060 and to 15 g/l by Eastern Sea: level ~28.0 m ASL, Area ~3,800 km 2, vol. 7.6 km 3, inflow from W. Aral 3.6 km 3, inflow from Central Aral highly variable, salinity >200 g/l Adzhibay Gulf Reservoir: level 53 m ASL, area 1147 km 2, vol km 3, inflow from Amu Dar ya 8.0 km 3, outflow to Western Aral basin 6.6 km 3, salinity ~ 2 g/l

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36 In conclusion, the authors of this report argue that by setting complex and hard-to-reach scientific and practical goals, such as, for example, preserving the biological diversity and biological resources of the Caspian and Aral Seas, researchers need to rely not only on modern scientific equipment and computer programs, but they also must have heartware. The authors are sure that only men can try to restore what they themself have put at risk or destroyed. Unfortunately, robots will never be able to do this. Concluding our report, we demonstrate a symbolic drawing of infographics by Mikhail Olegovich Janson. The previously shown logo, dedicated to the study of the Aral Sea, Balkhash and the Caspian, was also made by him.

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38 Thank you for your attention Biological resources of Caspian and Aral have future